'Call em Out Fridays': One and Done...What Will The Final Legacy Of Oscar De La Hoya
'Call em Out Fridays': One and Done...What Will The Final Legacy Of Oscar De La Hoya Read?
13.06.08 - By Vivek Wallace: Earlier this week in my 'Left-Hook Lounge' Q&A Mailbag session the major topic on the minds of fans was Oscar De La Hoya. Despite all of the talk about him being a has-been, it seems that when its time to talk boxing, those that fight in the sport, those that view the sport, and perhaps even those totally away from the sport all seem to gravitate towards one name. Oscar De La Hoya. When it comes to Oscar, everyone has an opinion. Despite the great success of yesterday, lately it appears the tone on this one individual hasn't been so pleasant. Today we take a closer look at what exactly has caused the sudden divide. Like any other of my 'Call em Out Fridays' sessions, today we'll put another one of the sports key figures under the spotlight as we analyze the "Upside Fan Perspective", the "Downside Fan Perspective", take a glimpse into my own perspective, then open the doors to let you, the avid fight fan chime in with yours. Spotlight and drumroll please.........
Oscar De La Hoya - (The Upside Fan Perspective): Where do we start? A U.S.A. Olympian, Champion in various weight divisions, successful boxing promoter, Philanthropist, blazay, blazay. There really isn't too many boxing related accolades that isn't on the resume of Oscar De La Hoya. To add to them is the fact that he's been a global heartthrob and one of the sole reasons that quiet woman in the corner at your workplace knows a couple more interesting details about the sport than you ever imagined. A perfect gentleman outside of the ring, a raging tiger inside. In his prime, Oscar was fully equipped with the tools that make a true champion. The jab, the speed, the ring smarts, and a left hook that sent many to the showers early. The thing about Oscar that I personally always liked was his 'battle spirit'. Just always seemed that every time an opponent flurried, he answered the call and welcomed it in return. He wasn't always the biggest or necessarily the fastest, but when he entered the ring there was one thing he always was. The fan favorite. Dating back to his early epic moments against the likes of Chavez, Whitaker, and many others, Oscar was always the one whose hand fight fans wanted to see held high in the end. Fast forward to 2008, and the title applied could very well be "What a difference a few years make"?
Oscar De La Hoya - (The Downside Fan Perspective): For a man who at one point seemed to be unable to do any wrong, all of a sudden, things in the Goldenboy's neck of the woods aren't quite what they once seemed to be. After going undefeated in his first 31 fights, a questionable loss to Puerto Rico's Felix Trinidad seemed to permanently remove the veil of invincibility that once covered Oscar. It was his first time in the ring against a future Hall of Famer who was actually in his prime and it culminated into a streak that many feel completely takes away from the legacy he had so carefully crafted throughout the years. That streak would be a very disappointing 1-5 record from that point in his career to current against prime Hall of Fame fighters, losing to Trinidad, Mosley (twice), Hopkins, and Mayweather, while defeating the weakest of the pack, Mexican Fernando Vargas. The thing that makes Oscar so difficult to judge is the fact that his accomplishments and persona make him larger than life, but in the sport that made him relevant to the rest of the world, skeptics argue that he failed to achieve every time he reached the biggest stage. Were his early career victories over oldie-but-goodies Camacho, Chavez, Whitaker, and company enough to give him a free pass? Or does it expose a deeper sentiment echoed by a growing list of skeptics? Adding more drama to the equation is the fact that De La Hoya is now attempting to walk away on a high note by initiating action against one of two fighters who he greatly outweighs. Both Manny Pacquiao (currently fighting at lightweight - 135 lbs), and Ricky Hatton (currently fighting at jr. welterweight 140 lbs) are being courted for a potential showdown with the Goldenboy. Trouble is, Oscar De La Hoya hasn't fought at welterweight (147 lbs) in more than 7 years, and recent indication tells us that making that weight is not something easily done for him. Which means if he is able to make the catchweight of 150 lbs that he fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. at last year, Pacquiao would have to consider a near 15 lb increase, while Hatton would be near 10 lbs. Hatton has proven to us on multiple occassions that the extra 7 lbs that bring him closer to the welterweight limit is not in his best interest, resulting in very sluggish performances; While Pacquiao hasn't even shown us how effective he can be at the lightweight level - 135 lbs. Skeptics have openly began to call out De La Hoya in an effort to ponder why he has chosen to pick on smaller men outside of his echelon when there are multiple in his own neighborhood that are potentially in higher demand. The Miguel Cotto/Antonio Margarito winner is an obvious choice which there is a strong possibility that fight could be made. Other potential candidates include Winky Wright at middleweight, or as odd as it seems, a fight that would be an instant smash but has never been openly discussed, Kelly Pavlik - the sports quickest rising star who only resides 6 pounds north of Oscar's current weight class. If Oscar expects guys to come up 15 plus pounds to face him, surely he should be willing to go up a few pounds to face a reputable contender. But for some reason it hasn't worked that way. And as a result, the skeptics continue to talk out loud.
Oscar De La Hoya - (My Perspective): I think it's very hard to overlook the accomplishments of someone who most can argue has single-handedly kept the sport alive in the post-Mike Tyson era. Yeah, we've seen Floyd Mayweather Jr. elevate himself to major stratospheres globally, but only Oscar has sustained this effort. Despite the trail of losses to his most recent quality opposition, one thing about Oscar, he brings it every fight and even in the ones he lost, there's never been a fight where he didn't remain firmly within a shot of victory, with the exception of the Hopkins KO. I do have an issue with him barking out names of fighters who stand so much smaller than him, but if this is gonna be the guys last hurrah, if the demand to see the fight is there, fight fans probably need to let those two fighters entertain us, and if it comes down to it, let the journalist and boxing scribes out there brew the inevitable beverage of debate. Truth is, no one really wanted to see a Mayweather/De La Hoya rematch, and in a strange way, we now don't have to worry about it. Now that the way has been cleared, people have to realize that this will be the last mega payday for the Goldenboy and his best chance of landing anything close comes against a global star like either Pacquiao or Hatton, not the two men who would probably make for the best competition - Margarito or Cotto. Most would find it a problem that Oscar is choosing money over competiton, but those that do are fans, and I'm afraid Oscar's a businessman. The decision may not be the best for the average fan, but an avid businessman pulls that trigger all day long. This move didn't work too well for Floyd Mayweather, but if there's anyone who can get away with it, it's the guy that gathered us all here today! So in the end, fans have two options: Find something else to watch if it comes down to a fight with the little guys, or drop your ducketts in the bucket and watch the sports last walking billboard dwindle to a mere footnote in history. Win, lose, or draw, his presence in the ring will never happen again. But of course, this is all just my opinion. Now the time has come to hear yours.....
